The Buccoo Goat and Crab Race

We’ve seen Crab Races, but we haven’t yet seen Goat Races!  Today we’re going to check out the city of Buccoo in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Now in it’s 88^th year, The Buccoo Goat and Crab Festival draws out hundreds of visitors to partake in the fun.  Goat Racing itself has been practiced in Tobago since around 1925.  Before the race the jockeys test out the terrain for any irregularities.  When satisfied, they run the race barefoot with their furry friends.  That’s right; in this race man and beast compete together to win the title!

The festival also features a Crab Race which, though a bit slower, is no less fun.  Competitors stretch along the start mark and hold on to a string that is tied to their crab.  When the race starts the patient participants poke and prod their crabs in the right direction, eventually resulting in a crab scurrying across the finish line. Though winning will get these crabs some admiration, the sad truth is that they’ll probably still end up as a tasty dish at the end of the race.

The Buccoo Goat and Crab Race festival kicks off at 10:00 am with a colourful street procession.  What else can you look forward to on the day?  There will be food courts, a Flash and Facebook interaction both, craft booths, children’s entertainment, live music, and cultural performances by:

Kulture Klub Ensemble
Bago House of Kulture
Buccoo Primary School Choir
Tamboo Bamboo
Scarborough RC Speech Band and Jab Jab
Buccoo Sunset Dancers
Healing with Horses Foundation
Youth Quake
Police Mountain Branch
Tobago Mission Riders
FX Reloaded

For more information, check out the Ticket Federation website.

When:  April 2^nd, 2013

Where:  Buccoo, Tobago, The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago

Related articles

• The 13 Best Reasons to Visit Trinidad and Tobago in 2013 (repeatingislands.com)
• Hermit crab races! (svreallife.wordpress.com)